Demolition of existing structures except for the northern and western facades of No. 30-30B Darlinghurst Road and construction of a mixed use development with a scale of part-5, part-6, part-7 and part-8 storeys.

A well-attended meeting on 18 January organised by our colleagues 2011 Residents Association, slammed the Bourbon / Les Girls Development Proposal –as a "monstrosity" which "doesn't add anything to the area. “It has no architectural merit. It's far too dense for the area. It is as ugly as sin.”

The $47 million development spans 18-32 Darlinghurst Road, encompassing the Bourbon Hotel (which was the site of the former Bourbon and Beefsteak restaurant), the Empire Hotel and the building which housed Les Girls.

The developer Sam Arnaout, and the chief executive of IRIS Capital the proponent lodged the massive DA over the Holiday season to avoid comments. He has failed as hundreds of local opponents have rallied against the monster.

• The DA misrepresents Potts Point, claiming that it is an entertainment, retail and commercial precinct when it is also one of Australia’s most densely populated residential areas. 18-32 Darlinghurst Road is surrounded by people’s homes. And, as the NSW Government’s Office of Environment & Heritage knows, Potts Point ‘has already reached a high level of density and increased density should be discouraged’.

• The DA claims that it is providing additional retail spaces, when 66%+ of the ground floor (and over 80% of the street front) is one bar passing as two independent bars. They have a common passageway. Kings Cross doesn’t need another beer barn. The Council should prescribe mixed retail, restaurants and boutique bars.

• The DA wants to override the street’s 6 storey height limit (22m) inconsistently asserting that parts of it will be 8 and 9 storeys high. Although Kingsley Hall is 30m tall, all the other surrounding buildings are all 2, 3 & 4 storeys high. The DA repeatedly uses the undistinguished #30A to justify its height. The developer must resubmit plans for buildings which are no more than 22 metres.

• The DA does not make any provision for affordable housing or for public art

• The DA does not provide floorplans, a fitout specifications or noise impact statement for the proposed bar(s). It claims that it is significantly reducing the overall bar space. But 2 floors of the present Bourbon are shells and the proposed bar will have a larger ground-level footprint. This beer barn will trade 24/7 and have gaming facilities. The architect’s drawings misrepresent the street facades, implying a row of shops when it will be one cavernous pub. The developer must revise and submit detailed drawings of this crucial space, showing multi-purpose retail usage as well as its fenestration and its acoustics strategies.

• The DA wants to convert the very narrow Barncleuth Lane into a two-way street and redirect the Roslyn Street traffic. It claims, erroneously that the Roslyn Street traffic goes into Darlinghurst Road. In fact, it goes east into Ward Avenue. This plan will also rob us of loading spaces and street parking. It could also handicap the police station’s operations. Barncleuth Lane and Roslyn Street must remain one way streets and operate throughout the build.

• By the developer’s own admission the common areas (Levels 1 & 5) will not get enough sunlight.

• The developer wants to retain the façade of #30A to justify his bid for a tall building. This is a ruse. His own Heritage Report does not value its architectural significance, because of its enclosed verandahs, aluminium windows and painted bricks. There is no reason to keep this building – or stick to its height.

• The developer claims that this complex will ‘help create much more of a village atmosphere with a boutique lifestyle. Where the transition is happening in parts of the area, there's a huge vacuum left in others. It's now time to fill that vacuum to contribute to its rejuvenation and to make that commercially viable, we need to build apartments and retail too’(SMH 28.12.2017). On the contrary, its scale, materials, verticality and beer barn will all disrupt ‘the village atmosphere’ and ‘boutique lifestyle’. The Council should demand more – aesthetically and socially.

• There is no evidence that this developers have the aesthetic competence to marry quality homes with a beer barn

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more details

ActionShare notice of meeting and your disapproval on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram #KingsCross #PottsPoint #architectureWrite to Councillors demanding that they hear the DA in a Public Meeting in Open Council. (Submissions closed on 24 January 2018.)

Email to City of Sydney:Address to Lord Mayor and Councillors, who must reject this – please state that CLEARLY in the first paragraph of emails/letters. City of Sydney MAIL <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (attention Russell Hand) Head: re D/2017/1705 - 18-32a Darlinghurst Road, Potts Point – Against the destruction of Kings Cross Architecture and Heritage

Links

Watch videos and share videos. A Shoutout of thanks and gratitude to Paul Wagner who organised the "film production team" and worked on the edit suite with the film maker and acted as his assistant, and undertook the arduius task of uploading these videos to the 2011 Residents Association Youtube Channel in a timely manner.